


Espresso My Love

by Fire_Bear



Series: Klance Month 2019 [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (maybe?) - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee, Coffee Shops, First Dates, First Meetings, Flirting, Klance Month 2019, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-11-01 11:35:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17866505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Bear/pseuds/Fire_Bear
Summary: Keith's second year of college has just started, so it's back to the same old routine: getting up for early classes, getting himself ready, going into his usual coffee shop to buy his usual coffee from the usual baristas.Except there's a new face behind the counter...





	Espresso My Love

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to do Klance Month 2019, even though I knew I was gonna be late. I'm determined to get this done so that's what I'll be doing for the next while.

College was starting again, which meant a return of the early morning classes. Keith sometimes wondered if becoming a graphic designer was worth it, especially when his early morning classes were only for extra credits. Sure, he’d been the one to pick them, but he hadn’t realised that there would be morning classes. Why he’d thought an introductory business course was a good plan, he’d never know.

Thankfully, Keith had a friend named Shiro who had inherited a coffee shop from his grandparents. Apparently, _The Atlas_ was where Shiro gained his love of travel and flying - from its maps and international photos - and the reason he was halfway across the country training to be a pilot. He had left his friend, Allura, in charge of the place and she was brilliant at it. Shiro had introduced Keith to her when he first moved to town for college a year ago and now they were fast friends, too.

Usually, Allura would be in the shop when Keith came in. She would wait until he’d drunk at least some of his coffee before chatting to him, asking about his classes and what he had planned for the day. At first, Keith had felt awkward, always fidgeting as he waited for her to finish so that he could escape. The past year, however, had been markedly improved by talking to her and her uncle and hanging out with both of them, even if Keith still felt that he was intruding sometimes.

Besides Allura, there would be one other person on the counter, cycling around a middle-aged man and a college dropout who was always chewing gum, movements slow. Both of them always looked as though they were ready to fall asleep. There had been one or two times that Keith had watched the long queue in front of him dissipate as people gave up on waiting and left. He knew their names from their name tags only and would have very short conversations with them when he ordered. But Keith knew them and they had become a fixture in his life.

So, when he opened the door to the coffee shop and found himself looking at a bubbly, cheerful young man, Keith froze, confused.

Whoever this was spotted Keith immediately as, somehow, there was no queue. There were a fair few people sitting around, already drinking mugs and cups of coffee. Another couple of girls were leaving the shop, smiling in a pleased sort of way. Keith had to step out of their way, still rather discombobulated. If the man hadn’t spoken to him, Keith would have hovered by the door for a lot longer. As it was, he drifted forward at his words.

“Oh, hey, man,” said the apparent barista. “Welcome to _The Atlas_! What can I get for you?”

“Uh?” said Keith, still confused, tired and rather embarrassed. He was all the more so when he took in the man’s appearance.

The barista had long limbs, the short sleeves of the business casual uniform showing off all of that brown skin. Short-cropped brown hair, just a shade or two darker, curled around his ears in a way that would have anyone yearning to brush the strands behind them. His smile was wide and welcoming, showing off his perfect, white teeth. And, when Keith finally reached the counter, he could see his bright, shining blue eyes.

Keith was stunned. Who was this guy to just _appear_ like this? And why hadn’t Allura said anything about it?

“Ha, not to worry!” the barista said, still cheerful. “I get like that when I’ve not had enough sleep, too. Take your time.”

Forcing himself to get his thoughts together, Keith glanced at his name tag. According to the little blue rectangle, his name was Lance. Keith had never heard of a Lance, nor met one. Not even Shiro had mentioned him in passing. Who was this guy? Where had he come from? Finally, Keith felt able to form words.

“Uh, I was expecting… Simon? Or Allura?” he added, tone rising with hopefulness.

“Ah, sorry, dude. Allura’s having a well-earned break. Just little old me and Jack here, though he’s washing up just now.” Lance shifted where he stood, angling his body aside, presumably so that Keith could see the board with their specials. “See anything you like?”

Slowly, Keith nodded. “Just… a coffee.”

Lance raised an eyebrow. “An Americano? Latte? Flat white?” Suddenly, he grinned in a rather mischievous way, shot Keith a wink and a single finger gun. “Or a Cubano?” There was a pause as Keith stared at him in confusion. “I… Sorry.” Lance’s grin softened, his shoulders hunched up a little and his hand absentmindedly raised his hand to rub at the back of his neck. “That joke only really works if you know I’m from Cuba.”

“Oh?” said Keith, unable to come up with something else.

“Yeah!” said Lance, cheerfully. “My family moved over here when I was, like, ten, but my grandparents still live over there. Although… that might be too much information for you at this time in the morning.” Lance laughed, just loud enough for Keith to know that he enjoyed that sound.

Shrugging, Keith glanced up at the specials again. Apparently, a peppermint tea and a mint chocolate mocha were what _The Atlas_ was suggesting for the day. He looked back to Lance who raised an eyebrow, waiting for a response. “I, uh, usually just get a plain coffee. And I don’t usually get anything else…”

“Really? Don’t wanna spice up your day when it’s just getting started?”

“No?” said Keith, still feeling stunned.

“Keith!” came a voice from close by. His gaze swung towards the door into the staff area to find Allura standing there, drying her hands on a towel. Her smile was almost as wide and welcoming at Lance’s, though he somehow had even her beat. She came over to stand by Lance, who watched her approach with a happy glint in his eyes. “Good to see you back.”

“I never left,” Keith protested, glad for some normality.

“Well, we missed you in the mornings,” Allura told him. “And you don’t come as often when you don’t have college.”

Beside her, Lance shifted and Keith glanced at him. For the briefest of moments, he was sure he saw Lance’s smile drop, his blue eyes dull with sadness. Then his grin was back, as was his attention on Keith. “Oh, cool. So, you’re, like, a regular? Wait!” he placed his hands on the counter and leaned over it, looking rather bewildered. “You’re a regular and you haven’t tried _any_ of the specials?”

Allura laughed at Lance’s shock. “Keith’s set in his traditions. But he’ll be in every day, so you’ll know what to make when he comes in.” She turned to Keith who was watching them, frowning. “This is Lance,” she explained. “He usually works the weekend but he’s picking up some extra shifts.”

“So I’ll probably be seeing you more,” Lance told him. His pleased expression had Keith smiling back. Then, suddenly, his eyebrows shot up. “Oh! Right. Your coffee.” Lance spun on his heel to hurry to the machine, busying himself with the various bits and bobs that would turn into a cup of coffee and, hopefully, wakefulness.

Keith glanced at Allura, trying to look questioning without glaring, though he wasn’t sure he managed. Allura shrugged a shoulder. “He asked for more shifts at the start of the summer - you’ve just been missing him.”

“You never mentioned him,” Keith said, pressing his lips together. “I was very confused.”

“Sorry.” Allura glanced over at Lance who was in the process of pouring the coffee. “He’s really good at his job. I hope the hours I’ve given him will help him out.”

“What’s he need the money for?”

That made Allura’s cheer fall. “That’s not for me to tell,” she said, tone apologetic. “Now, I’ve got to go into the back, so I’ll see you later. Have a good day.”

“You too,” Keith responded, automatically. He watched her go, wondering what that had been about. A coffee cup appearing on the counter wrenched his thoughts away from her somber expression. Startled, Keith looked up to find Lance smiling at him. “Oh, uh, thanks,” Keith said, finally getting his act together enough to pull his wallet from his pocket.

“My pleasure, dude!” Lance declared, grinning at him. “Sure I can’t tempt you with a mint chocolate mocha? It’s sweet with a bit of a kick from the mint, since we’re using peppermint. And with the coffee, it’ll definitely wake you up!” As he spoke, Lance’s grin brightened, his body bouncing as his excitement clearly got the better of him. Keith wasn’t sure how he could be so energetic this early in the morning.

“Sounds like you really like it,” Keith commented, raising an eyebrow.

“Haha, yeah. I always try the specials to see what they’re like. They’re always good.”

“Don’t you make them?” Keith asked.

“And that’s how I know they’re _always_ good,” Lance insisted.

Keith looked at him, taking in how earnest and eager he was. It was such a drastic change from his usual mornings that it was almost jarring. Yet, Lance’s cheerfulness and smile had already woken Keith up. His bright eyes were focussed solely on him, eyebrows raised, eyes a little wide as he waited for Keith’s verdict.

He physically couldn’t refuse.

“Okay, fine. I’ll take one of them, too.”

“What? Really?!” exclaimed Lance, loud in the hushed room. “Wow, cool. Lemme just get you it! You’ll love it, I promise.”

“If I don’t, I’ll hold you responsible,” Keith warned him, pulling out another note in order to pay. His words had Lance laughing as he made his way to the machine, the sound brightening up the space and buoying Keith’s mood. He watched him work, wondering how often he would see Lance now that Lance was working weekday mornings. Considering the other employees, Keith hoped he’d see Lance again.

* * *

For the next few weeks, Keith was lucky enough to see Lance every morning that he was on his way to college. Every time, it put him in a good mood that carried over to the rest of the day. Even when he called Shiro at the weekends to find out how the final year of his pilot training was going, he found himself smiling more. Shiro could even hear it in his voice.

And, every day, he found himself buying two cups of coffee: his normal, plain stuff and whatever the special was. Lance’s enthusiasm made it impossible to refuse. Besides, watching Lance work, stretching and reaching, satisfied some part of Keith. Whenever Lance asked, Keith always told him that he liked them, even if he struggled to contain his distaste of the ones he disliked. Lance’s answering smile just made the whole situation sweeter.

On one particular day, after he’d already been in the coffee shop that morning, he found himself there in the early afternoon. A fire alarm had postponed a still life class and Keith had suddenly found himself with a lot more free time. Having nothing in his small apartment for a decent meal, he had decided to stop by the coffee shop for something there. Despite having been there so often, he had never bought anything except for coffee, but he knew they had cakes and that there were small menus for lunches.

When he entered, he had to blink in surprise at both how busy it was and the fact that Lance was still standing behind the counter. Since there were a couple of people ordering coffee in front of him, Keith took the opportunity to look at his watch. Considering the coffee shop opened at six in the morning and it was now a little over eight hours later, he had expected someone else to be there. Of course, a young woman was behind the counter, cleaning, and there was likely somebody in the back, but shouldn’t Lance’s shift have been over by now?

“Oh, hi, Keith!” Lance exclaimed when he reached the counter. “What’re you doing here?”

“I’m not allowed to come in here at a different time than usual?” Keith retorted.

Lance’s eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. “Of course not! I just-”

“It’s fine, Lance,” said Keith, feeling guilty that he’d put Lance on the spot like that. “One of my lessons got cancelled so I’m looking for something to eat.”

“Ah,” Lance replied, breathing deeply in evident relief. “Well, what can I get for ya. I mean, I won’t be making it, but I’ll take the order through.”

“I, well, I don’t really know.” Keith glanced over his shoulder to check out the table situation and found that there were none available. “And I’ll have to get it to go.”

“You don't know what you want?” said Lance, frowning in concentration. Keith didn't bother making him aware of the fact that he'd never had the food in here before, sure he’d express his outrage. “You look like a sandwich kinda guy but... Today's special is risotto and it is _amazing_.”

Keith's eyes narrowed. “Are you just saying that?”

That made Lance laugh. “Well, yeah, you caught me! My friend can whip up a better risotto – he just doesn't work here. But it _is_ pretty good, and you look like you could use a good meal.”

This time, Keith raised an eyebrow. “You think I look unhealthy?”

“Nah, man. You look tired. I feel ya.”

“You don't look tired at all,” Keith protested. “You're practically glowing.”

“Oh,” said Lance. He stared at Keith for a few seconds, Keith watching him in return. Keith was overly aware of what he'd just said and hoped that he wasn't blushing – not that he could tell with how warm he suddenly felt all over. After a while, Lance snapped out of the daze he had descended into. “So, you want a risotto?”

“Sure.”

“And a sandwich?”

“Sure.”

“Any... Any particular _kind_ of sandwich?”

“Just...” Keith shrugged. “Any.”

“Okay, then,” said Lance, drawing out the 'o'. “I'll get you chicken. You look like a chicken kinda guy?”

“Are you calling me scared?” Keith asked with a smirk.

“Nah,” Lance replied, his voice suddenly a drawl. “Why would I say that?” They grinned at each other for a moment until a noise from the back room startled Lance. “Right, well, gotta go get you that food.” And, with a little wave, a fond smile and a wink, Lance left Keith at the counter and disappeared through the door.

It took Keith a moment to realise that he was smiling dopily after him. Quickly, Keith turned to lean against the counter, looking around the place. A lot of people at the tables, he noticed, were eating what appeared to be risotto. Somehow, Keith's shock at seeing Lance had prevented him from realising that he could smell the stomach-grumbling scent of cooking. None of them seemed to have any intention of moving, unfortunately, and it definitely looked as though he'd be taking his lunch home to eat. He had been wanting to actually stay in the building, chatting to Lance.

The realisation shocked him and yet wasn't too much of a surprise.

“So, it's gonna be a little while,” Lance's voice suddenly said, close to Keith's ear. Keith jolted so hard that he banged his elbow on the edge of the counter, wincing as he turned. He cradled his arm to him, trying hard not to shout or swear in pain. “Ahaha, sorry,” said Lance, looking more amused than apologetic. He stuck out his hand, wordlessly asking for money.

“Yeah, sure,” Keith grumbled.

That had the result of Lance laughing loudly, the sound sweet and pretty. Keith flushed and looked over his shoulder. A fair few patrons had looked over, curious. Embarrassed, Keith scowled at him, ignoring the throbbing in his elbow to fold his arms across his chest. Finally, Lance calmed himself, a smile dancing across his lips. A sudden urge swept through Keith, from his chest outwards, but he stamped it down before it managed to register in his brain. Quickly, he tugged out his wallet and pulled out his card; Lance was quick to bring up the card reader and the payment was made, swiftly and painlessly.

“So, you've got a free day, huh?” Handing Keith's card back, Lance leaned his elbows on the counter and propped his chin up with both hands. “What're you gonna do with it?”

“Not working,” Keith said. “Shouldn't you have finished your shift by now?”

“Am I not allowed to have overtime?” Lance teased, smirking at him.

But, at the word overtime, Keith frowned. Sure, people could take on as much overtime as they wanted. Yet, Lance had been in the coffee shop every weekday morning, _on top of_ his shifts at the weekend. And he was sure Lance had once mentioned another job. “There's such a thing as _too much_ overtime,” Keith pointed out.

Lance's smile dropped and Keith instantly regretted saying anything. He straightened and looked around the room, expression pained. “I...” Pausing to sigh, Lance looked back at Keith, smiling sadly. “I'm on my gap year. I'm saving up for the college I want to get into. Like, as much as I can, 'cause we – me and my family – we can't afford it.”

“Oh,” said Keith, feeling even worse. “Sorry.”

“Not _your_ fault,” Lance insisted. “We're a big family, and, like, three of us have already up and gone to college. I'll get there eventually.” Suddenly, his grin was back. “I might be a little behind my friends, but I'll get there.”

Keith was impressed by his determination and dedication. And, in their many conversations, he'd heard how incredible Lance's friends were. It was clear to him that Lance missed them dearly. No doubt, it pained him to be unable to be with them, and yet he still grinned and laughed and smiled at everyone.

There was a shout from the back room and Lance turned slightly. Turning back to Keith, he grinned. “Hang on.” Without waiting for a response, Lance bounded towards the door where he exchanged a few words with someone. Then he was back, a paper bag in his hands. “Here you go!” he exclaimed, cheerfully. “Let me know what you think of the risotto.”

“Sure,” Keith replied, smiling at him. “I'll have to try your friend's stuff to be able to compare them, though.”

Somehow, once again, he'd made Lance grin. He was positively beaming at Keith. “Of course, buddy! Anything for my favouritest customer.” Keith snorted, shook his head, and left, making sure to wave on his way out the door. Lance waved enthusiastically back, the sight so warm and beautiful that Keith had to quickly turn away to hide his blush.

* * *

Keith was running late. He'd somehow slept through his alarm and, since he would miss half of the lecture even if he ran across town in a straight line, Keith decided not to bother hurrying. Instead, he went through his normal routine, even popping into _The Atlas_ as he usually would. As he opened the door, he already had a smile on his face, imagining Lance's dramatic outrage at his blasé attitude.

“Oh, Keith!” came Allura's voice instead. Surprised, Keith looked up, taking in the sight of the woman, her hair piled up on her head in a messy bun that was slowly falling apart. In fact, as Keith moved closer, she looked a little frazzled. Worry spiked fear in Keith's heart.

“Where's Lance?” he asked, not bothering to greet her.

“And good morning to you, too,” Allura said, voice dry. “You're in later than usual...” Her eyebrow raised in question.

“I slept through my alarm,” said Keith, dismissively. “Where's Lance?”

“He's on his break. I would go get him, but...” Allura trailed off and sighed.

“What? What is it?” Keith demanded, finally reaching the counter and leaning on it, both hands pressed flat against the top. “Is he not feeling well?”

“No... Though, I wouldn't be surprised if he got ill,” Allura admitted. She gave Keith a long, searching look then, and Keith had to keep from rushing through to the back room to find out what was wrong. His fists clenched in his effort to keep his feet planted to the linoleum floor. Finally, she gave him a worried smile. “He's sleeping. Every time he gets a break, he spends five minutes shovelling food into his mouth, and then spends the rest sleeping.”

“Why would he...?”

“Did he tell you about his other jobs?” Allura asked, such an abrupt segue that Keith blinked at her.

“No?” He paused, thinking over her question. “Wait, _jobs_?”

“He's got a job in a clothing store two blocks away. As far as I'm aware, when he has shifts there, he runs from here to there. And, sometimes, he helps at his dad's bar. I've seen him busking in the park once or twice – he's a good singer and he can play the guitar, though he's not been able to afford one for a while. And he makes and sells jewellery online, so he stays up late to do that, or works on his breaks sometimes.” Allura's eyes were glinting as she blinked rapidly; it took Keith a moment to realise that she was holding back tears. “I'm really worried about him,” she admitted. “I don't think he's had a proper day off in months.”

By that point, Keith's heart was clenching. Lance didn't deserve to be as stressed as he seemed to be. How could he manage to keep a smile on his face? How did he not let on that he was tired? “But he never _looks_ tired,” Keith protested aloud. It sounded like he was contesting what she was saying, but it was only because he could barely believe that someone could do all that and not collapse from exhaustion.

Leaning in close, Allura cast a furtive glance at the back door. “Don't tell him I told you, but he uses concealer on the bags under his eyes. And he has a strict skin care regime that I'm sure he's already told you about. It's almost like magic that no-one notices.”

Again, Keith was struck by how much effort Lance put into his life. Sure, Keith put effort into his art and his exercise regime, but it was almost as if Lance was doing _more_ . And all because no-one could help him. Could _Keith_ help him? “Do you think,” he said, slowly, “that he'd accept a gift?”

“A gift?” Allura echoed.

“Yeah, of money,” Keith explained. “You know I have more than enough. If it can help him...”

“Oh, Keith.” Allura placed a hand over her heart. “That's so sweet, but he won't accept anything from me or Shiro or anyone else he knows. He didn't even take anything from his older sister when she offered, though she _is_ heavily pregnant with two kids already, so I suspect he didn't want to put a strain on their monetary situation.”

“I've gotta do _something_ ,” Keith snapped, his fists clenching again.

Allura laughed, a sound tinkling and elegant. “The only reason I told you about this was to see if you could make him take a break. Do you think you can do that?”

Before Keith could answer, the door to the back room swung open in a wide arc. Lance bounded through, grinning widely. “Okay, Allura. Your turn!” he declared, making his way to the counter. He paused when he saw Keith. “ _There_ you are! Where did _you_ get to?”

“I... I slept through my alarm,” Keith explained, feeling ashamed. Here he was, living an easy life, rubbing it into Lance's face when he was already hurting. How could he _help_ him? Allura's hint didn't help – unless...

“Oof!” said Lance, ever cheerful. “I'd better get you some of that Joe, huh?”

“Yeah. Just the plain one?”

“'Just' the plain one?” Lance asked, his eyes glinting. “What about today's special?” He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder where the words **Strawberries & Cream Coffee** had been written in a bold, red chalk. Keith tried not to grimace but realised that he could use Lance’s desire to widen his coffee tastes to his advantage.

“I’ll take one if you hang out with me this weekend,” Keith said.

“What?” Lance said, his eyes wide.

At that point, Allura interjected. “You don’t have a shift at Clo-co on Saturday, right?”

“Wha-? Uh, no,” Lance confirmed. “I was planning on going to the park, though, after my shift here…” He raised an eyebrow at Allura in a meaningful way.

“You don’t have a shift here on Saturday any more,” Allura told him. “Consider it a paid holiday.”

“Wha-?! But Allura…!”

“Have a proper break, Lance,” she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You deserve it. And don't worry about the money. I’ll work something out.” With that, Allura slipped past him, heading to the back.

“I-” Lance stopped when he spotted Keith watching him, waiting for his verdict.

Keith’s heart was hammering. He hoped, with every fibre of his being, that Lance would say yes. And it scared him how much he wanted it. “Well?”

Lance licked his lips. His eyes darted towards the cakes, then the counter, then the cash register, before finally settling on Keith. “ _Well_ ,” he said, “I guess I better whip you up a Strawberries and Cream coffee!” A grin slowly formed on his face and it brightened up the room; Keith hadn’t realised it had grown so dark with the knowledge of Lance’s exhaustion.

* * *

That Saturday, Keith went on a longer run than usual. During the week, he took his runs in the evening or went to the gym on campus. Weekends were an extra hour in bed before exercising and then any schoolwork or a shift at the local garage, if he was needed. Usually, an hour run was enough, but Keith’s nerves were getting the better of him.

Today, he would see Lance outside of the coffee shop for the first time.

He had had no idea what to do or where to go. Taking Lance to the park seemed like he’d be rubbing Lance’s monetary situation in his face. Keith also didn't want him to come to his apartment - that felt too intimate for what they were. Which was another matter altogether: were they hanging out as friends or had Keith accidentally asked him out on a date? Not that doing that would have been a problem, but he wasn't entirely sure what to do. Thankfully, he had explained to Shiro over the phone what the situation was and, after some unwarranted teasing, Shiro had given him an idea.

Keith just hoped it would be fun for Lance, too.

They had arranged to meet in front of _The Atlas_ , with Keith driving Shiro's car. Turning up on a motorbike would probably be a bit too much. Instead, he swung the black Honda Civic into a space in front of the coffee shop, the passenger door sliding up the kerb till it was right in front of where Lance stood. Throwing the car into park, Keith watched Lance open the door, his other hand holding a cardboard cup holder containing two cups of coffee.

Once he’d sat down, Keith frowned at the coffee. “Did you buy those?” he asked.

Lance paused in the middle of struggling one-handed with his seatbelt. “Uh, no? I mean, Allura gave me them for free.” He shrugged his shoulders, grinning sheepishly. “Said they were on the house for staff and people taking staff somewhere nice.”

“What did she give us?” asked Keith, peering at the cups as he took them from Lance.

“A plain coffee - _obviously_.” They both chuckled at that. “And then…” Lance continued, plucking his cup from Keith’s hands once he’d finished buckling his belt. “Well, I think you call them ‘one of those sweet monstrosities that are more sugar than coffee’.” Again, they laughed, their smiles wide and warm. Keith’s heart was already beating far too fast, which really didn’t bode well for the rest of the day.

“Ready?” Keith asked, handing back the cup holder.

Sipping at his coffee, Lance nodded. Quickly, he swallowed his mouthful. “Where are we going?” he asked, all curious, wide eyes, blue and bright. Keith almost stalled the car as he started to pull away.

“It’s a surprise,” Keith told him.

Glancing at Lance, Keith saw him smile fondly as he looked down at his hands. There was a dusting of colour on his cheeks, but Keith couldn’t tell if it was a blush or not. “Okay,” said Lance. “Well, how was your day yesterday? You mentioned something about an assignment.”

So the drive was taken up by Keith explaining his presentation and Lance telling him stories from his previous day’s work, laughter filling the car and warming Keith from within. Over the few weeks that Keith had known Lance, his happy grins and fond smiles always lifted his own spirits. He wondered how Lance had managed to become such an integral part of Keith’s life. However it had happened, Keith was glad it had.

Finally, Keith turned into the road that led up to Forest Fun, a section of the forest close to town that had been turned into a park of sorts. There were aerial courses and hiking trails. Kids could do arts and crafts with things found on the ground. Climbing walls were a thing of the past here - dead tree trunks and tall trees were climbed on with safety harnesses. A small funfair, made entirely from the wood that had been cut down to make way for the rides, was nestled somewhere among the trees. It would be something fun to do and not feel too awkward. _And_ Keith would learn more about Lance here.

“Woah, here?” Lance asked, staring at the sign in awe as they passed under it. Then he tensed, shifting slightly as he pressed his coffee cup to his lips but didn't take a drink. “Isn’t this pretty expensive?” he asked, trying to sound nonchalant, his voice muffled by the plastic lid.

“Don’t worry about it,” Keith said, firmly. He rolled down his window as he spoke, grabbing a flyer from the stand they were idling beside, waiting for the car in front to move. “Here,” he said, handing it to Lance. “Pick what you want to do. _Don’t_ look at the prices.”

“Okay, okay, sheesh.”

By the time they finally arrived at the ticket booth, Lance was fidgeting in his seat, obviously concerned about the money he would need to part with. Keith had a plan for that, though. So, when the woman inside the little hut asked them what they wanted to do, Keith made sure to be the one who responded.

“Hi. We’d like to do the aerial assault course.”

“Ooh!” said the woman. “That’s a good one. And pretty popular...”

“And expensive!” Lance hissed into Keith’s ear. “I don’t think-”

Keith waved a hand at him to get him to shut up. “Sorry, what was that?” he asked the woman, pointedly ignoring Lance.

“I was just saying that the assault course is done in teams,” she explained. “Would you like to be put in the same team or different ones? Both teams run the two courses at the same time in a race, so you wouldn't really be separated, if you want to stay together.”

Keith turned to look at Lance, eyeing him. Lance stared back, eyes narrowing the longer their staredown happened. “Different teams,” they said in unison.

The woman laughed and typed something into her computer. “There's space on the one happening in half an hour so I’ll put you on that one. Anything else you'd like to do today?”

Again, Keith looked to Lance, waiting to see if he had anything else he wanted to do. Looking uncomfortable, Lance looked down at the leaflet. “Well, I, uh… the geocaching scavenger hunt?” he suggested. “But, Keith, I can't do bo-”

Not waiting to hear his protestations, Keith turned back to the woman. “The geocaching scavenger hunt,” he said.

“And both of you want to go together?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“You can start that at any time, just pick up your things on the hour and you’ll have two hours to do it in. Anything else?”

“The funfair,” Keith said, not bothering to ask Lance. He was already imagining cuddling up to Lance on the Ferris wheel - he’d seen on the website that it looked like a bunch of ski lifts attached to each other, so leaning on Lance would be entirely possible.

“Is that you?”

“Yup.”

“Here you are, then,” the woman said as she handed over two wristbands. “These will be scanned for each activity. You can come and go from the funfair as many times as you want today.”

“Thanks,” said Keith, passing Lance his.

“So, how would you like to pay?”

“I have cash,” Lance told Keith. “But I don’t have enough to cover- Are you even listening?”

Not bothering to reply, Keith reached over to the glovebox, pulled out his wallet and tugged out his card. “Here,” he said to the woman. “I’ll pay for it all.”

“Wha-?! _Keith_!”

Again, he ignored Lance, quickly paying before Lance could get more vocal. Money wasn’t a problem for him - the inheritance from his parents had made sure of that - and he was glad to pay for Lance’s share, too. Once he’d thanked the woman, he drove off, following the signs for the parking lot. “I don’t want you to pay me back,” he told Lance sternly.

“Keith, that was _really expensive_ ,” Lance said.

“I don’t care. You- It’s worth it.”

Lance snorted at that. “I can’t believe you just paid for _everything_. What is this, a date?”

Fingers tightening on the steering wheel, Keith bit his lip as he considered his response for a moment. “I mean,” he finally said, “only if you want it to be?”

There were a few seconds of silence. It was so quiet that Keith grew worried. Just as he spotted the parking lot, Keith had to take a peek at Lance in an effort to quell the nervous patter of his heart. The barista was staring at him with wide eyes, his face a bright red. Keith grew flustered and nearly crashed the car when he swung around too harshly to squeeze through the gate. Finally, Lance spoke, his voice softer than normal.

“Uh… Yeah.”

A thrill ran up Keith’s spine at that, happiness spreading through his body, warming it, pooling in his belly and chest and making it difficult to breathe. They were on a date. Keith wanted to shout with joy and triumph but he forced himself to concentrate on parking the car. He couldn’t believe that Lance had agreed. Lance liked him? Really?

“Are you sure?” he asked, fingers flexing on the wheel. “I don’t wanna pressure you into anything-”

“I’m _sure_ , Keith, _Jesus_.” Beside him, Lance squirmed in his seat and Keith had to resist copying him.

“Really?”

Suddenly, Lance leaned towards him. Having parked the car, Keith turned his head towards him, eyes wide when he saw how close Lance was, eyes intent on a spot low on Keith’s face. Keith’s movement, however, seemed to startle him and he straightened, the leaflet rustling in his hands. That drew his attention to it and he seemed to drag himself from his daze.

“I’m sure, Keith,” he said gently, not looking at Keith. “I’m _also_ sure that I’m gonna kick your ass at this assault course.” Without warning, he threw open his door. “Last one to the right trees buys the lunch!”

Keith blinked and he was gone, darting around cars. Eyes widening, Keith slapped his hand to his belt buckle and flung his own door wide, nearly clipping the car beside him. “Hey!” he shouted once he’d made sure the car was locked. “You’re the only one with a map!”

Lance's laugh was his only response.

* * *

The sun had already set when Keith pulled up to Lance’s home. It was a pretty big house but it looked well-worn compared to the houses around them. Two bicycles, both with stabilisers, had been abandoned on the front lawn. Keith was sure he even saw a teddy bear sprawled on the path. Warm light poured out of the lower windows, inviting people over the threshold.

“Well,” said Lance, sounding almost reluctant. “This is me.”

“Right,” murmured Keith, already aching for Lance’s company. Especially after the last few hours.

Keith wasn’t sure of the last time he’d had so much fun, had laughed so much. Lance had, of course, won their race to the assault course, but Keith had won the assault course race between them after they’d both goaded each other a little too much. The rest of their teams had laughed at their competitiveness, making Lance pout and Keith’s fingers twitch with the urge to touch him. Both of them had half-expected that they would argue a lot on the scavenger hunt after the way they’d been bickering on the assault course, but they’d been able to pool their skills and work together to find everything in half the time they’d been given. Laughter had accompanied them on their quest as Lance darted to and fro and Keith could only watch him, smiling fondly, helplessly. After they’d eaten some noodles from a stand surrounded by picnic tables (Lance had tried to pay for his share but Keith had slapped his hand out of the way), they had made their way to the funfair. Keith had gotten his wish to cuddle with Lance on the Ferris wheel, despite a nervous start where both of them had felt too awkward to do anything for the first half of the ride. The two of them had had a fantastic time on the rides and trying their hands at the games: Lance was still wearing the jellyfish hat that Keith had won for him.

“Thanks for this,” Lance said, smiling at him, all bright eyes and flushed cheeks. “I had fun today.”

“Me too.”

Opening his mouth to say something else, Lance suddenly yawned, his hand belatedly coming up to cover it. “Man,” he said once he’d finished. “I’m exhausted.”

When he didn’t add anything else, Keith thought of what Allura had said about Lance overworking himself. His eyes narrowed. “You’re going to go straight to bed, right?”

“Uh…” Lance blinked at him, looking a little cornered. “I mean, I was gonna eat first…”

“And then you’re going to sleep till your shift tomorrow, right?”

Lance squirmed in his seat, grimacing. He ducked his head, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. “I… I have some commissions I need to finish - but I’m nearly done! It’ll take an hour, tops.” A small smile curved his lips as he looked up at Keith from under his eyelashes. “I swear, I’ll get some sleep before tomorrow.”

The sight of Lance looking at him like that did things to Keith’s heart that made it impossible to be stern with him. “Fine.”

“I promise.”

“I get it, Lance.”

“Okay, well…” Lance looked out of the window before returning his attention to Keith. “I… I suppose I should get going, huh? But I’ll see you on Monday, bright and early, right?”

“And if I’m not in then, I’ll come in at some point in the morning,” Keith promised.

“Good.” Lance opened his door, made sure his hat was still on his head and swivelled slightly. He hesitated before he put a foot out of the car and turned back to Keith. Before Keith could react, Lance put his hand on the edge of Keith’s seat and leaned towards him. Keith’s eyes widened as he felt soft, sweet lips press against his cheek, right at the corner of his mouth. When Lance pulled away, he reached up to touch the spot; it tingled from Lance’s kiss. Lance grinned at him. “I owe you, like a thousand of them for today,” Lance explained. “And I plan on paying you as soon as possible.” And, with a wink, he slid from the car.

“Okay,” Keith murmured, feeling dazed, heart thumping heavily in his chest. He watched as Lance jogged up the path, bent to scoop up the rogue teddy, spun on his heel, waved at Keith, spun again, tripped over his feet, caught himself, and bounded up his front steps. With another wave, he opened his door and disappeared inside, leaving Keith to stare at the house.

Keith wasn’t sure how he would survive the other 999 kisses, but he would be sure to collect on them soon enough.


End file.
